Automatic toll-box for telephone pay-stations



3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

H. C. ROOT. AUTOMATIC TOLL BOX FOR TELEPHONE PAY STATIONS.

Patented Feb. 20, 1894:. FIGA- MEQ/m wl nunon. um mmv.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets.Sheet 2.

H. C. ROOT. AUTOMATIC TOLL BOX FOR TELEPHONE PAY STATIONS. No. 515,170. Patented Peb, 20, 1894.

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Admi? 5 s -f 5 gaat, 4 Q A /Nl/ENTOH (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. C. ROOT. AUTOMATIC TOLL BOX POR TELEPHONE PAY STATIONS.

Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

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Unirse STATES WENT OFFICE.

HOWARD O. ROOT, OF BROOKLYN, NEY YORK.

AUTOMATIC TO LL-BOX FOR TELEPHON E PAY-STATION S.

SPECL'FIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,170, dated February 20, 1894.

Application tiled December 9,1893. Serial No. 493,247. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD O. ROOT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented Improvements in Automatic Toll-Boxes for Telephone Pay- Stations, ot which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of automatic toll boxes for telephone pay stations in which the customer calling up the exchange from the pay station, asks to have the line connected with a certain subscriber and puts, or causes to be put, into a toll box at the pay station a coin or coins of the proper value as the toll for the service asked for and the operator at the exchange is enabled to detect the value et the coin or coins put insby the customer.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple apparatus ot' this character which will not be liable to get out of order, will be certain in its action in determining the character or value of the coin which is put into the box by the customer, and will guard against mistakes of the customer and also prevent fraud.

l here use the term coin in a sutlicieutly comprehensive sense to include any token of value.

In the accompanying.,r drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the preferred form of my telephone tollbox, on the line 1 2, Fig. 4l. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the movable parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig, e. Fig. et is a vertical section on the line l-4=, Figs. l and 3. Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic view. Fig. 6 is another diagram. Fig. 7 is a View of a modification. Figx is aview ot' another modification; and Fig. 9 is a diagram of circuits which may be employed.

My telephone toll box is more particularly designed for use in connection with, and to be electrically connected up to telephonie instruments as now ordinarily constructed, and I have therefore, in the drawings, shown my invention as embodied in a separate self-contained box structurally independent of the usual telephone sets. Neverthelessit should be understood at the outset that my invention may be embodied in and constructed as part of the telephonie apparatus, as for instance inthe box containing the battery for the primary circuit, ina manner similar to that illustrated in the Letters Patent obtained by me November 4, 1890, No. 440,118.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that l provide in the top of the box A, one or more slots a d for the introduction of the coins. In this case l have shown two such slots, one of which a is adapted for the admission of a coin of a size of a ten-cent piece, while the other slot ct is considerably longer and will admit ot a larger size up to one ot' a diameter of a dollar. The run-way D for the coins is arranged upon the upper face ot an inclined board B, which divides the box into two parts. Channels c c' are formed upon the upper face of the board leading from below the slots a a to convey the coins to the run-way D, and guards O are provided over these channels and over the run-way to prevent the coins from falling out or oft', except as hereinafter described. The runway D may be divided into two parts d d, the latter being on an incline below the part el for a purpose explained hereinafter. 'lhere is formed in the board over the part d of the run-way which lies below the larger channel c, a slot or opening l) of a size which will allow such a coin asa one-cent piece not intended for use in theinstrument,but which has been put into the instrument by the customer through the slot a, to tall through and down behind the board before it can reach the operative part of the machine. The relation of the channel c with reference to this discharge slot l) is such that the coin from the channel c will fall onto the run-way in ad- Vance of the slot. ln connection with the part d. of the run-way there is provided a laterally projecting linger F to act upon the coin and push it out over the discharge end of the run-way, which is normally closed by a lever controlling the signaling device. This linger F is carried by a sliding rod F mounted in bearings in the box, as for instance at the back of the board B. In such case, the finger F projects laterally through a slot in the board into the run-way D. The rod F passes out to the outside ot' the box where it has a knob cr other suitable handle f whereby the rod and linger may be pulled in a di- IOO rection substantially parallel with the runway d. This movement, however, will bein opposition to the action of a spring which in this instance is in the form of a spiral spring f coiled around the rod. Normally this rod and push linger, underthe action of the spring f occupy the position indicated in Fig. 1.

Into the path of the coin as it is moved through and out of the run-way there projects one arm of a lever G pivoted at g and acted on by a spring g which tends to keep it in the position indicated in Fig. l and with its rear arm bearing against a xed stop 7c. That arm of the lever G which is adjacent to the end of the run-way is normally in such a position that the smallest size of coin to be used as a toll cannot pass out without moving this lever G. This lever carries a spring pawl K adapted to engage with a toothed wheel M, which either is itself a break-wheel or operates a break-wheel in a signaling circuit. For vconvenience I have shown this wh'eelM as itself the break-wheel, and in connection with it, there is a spring contact m -arranged in such a position that as each contact point of the wheel passes when rotated, it will strike the spring contact and close the signaling circuit, or otherwise produce a signal. There may be a special electrical circuit to the exchange for acting upon a bell or register or other suitable or visible indicator or signaling device there; or as described in my above mentioned patent, I may make use of the telephone circuit for that purpose. I prefer, however, to have a bell, buzzer, or other sound-producing signal or signals in proximity to the transmitting instrument of the telephone set, which the customer is to use so that the audible signal made at the toll station where the customer is will be heard by the operator at the exchange through the transmitter in the same way as the operator hears the talking from the toll station. This audible signal may conveniently bein the toll-box itself, -if the toll-box is arranged near the transmitter, and in the construction illus.

trated in Figs. l and 3, I have shown in the box a call-bell H and a buzzer I-I, together with a switch b for throwing either one of these devices into circuit as may be desired.

In the construction of signaling wheel shown, the wheel M is mounted loosely upon an axis N which carries a ratchet wheel N and a spring-pawl n upon the break-wheel M engages with this ratchet wheel. When the .lever G is moved by the passage of a coin,

the pawl K on thelever will engage with one or other of the teeth on the wheel M dependent upon the size of the coin. After the coin has passed through, the spring g will pull the lever over and the pawl in engagement with the wheel will cause the latter to turn to a corresponding extent until the pawl is nal given.. v trated, the dime will cause the wheel to be turned to an extent to close the circuit once. A nickel will cause the circuit to be closed twice, and so on with each coin of larger diameter. yThe break-wheel M when released from the pawl is caused to return tov its normal position shown in Fig. l, by means of a spring k which at one end is con nected to the wheel and at the other endis connected to the upper arm of the lever G. This return movement of the signaling Wheel M is independent of the shaft N and ratchet Wheel N', as the pawl 'n slips over the ratchet teeth of the Wheel M.

Instead of constructing the signaling means so as to give a series of different signals on the same bell, buzzer oreq'uivalent device, I may provide a series of devices giving audible signals of different characters, dependent upon the size of the coin passing through the toll-box. Thus, in Fig. 5 I have shown combined with the run-way and the lever G, as before, la signaling wheel M of a somewhat different construction from the wheel M before described, this wheel'M being provided with a series of pinsin connection with aseries of audible signaling devices l, 2, 3, 4 and 5, which in this case are to be operated electromagnetically. The pins l', 2 3', 4 and of the wheel are insulated from each other. To co-operate with these pins there is a series of corresponding fixed spring contacts m', m2, m3, m4, m5, which are severally connected up electrically with the signaling devices l, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. In the case illustrated the electro-magnetic signal l, produces a sound by acting upon a tuning fork, the device 2 strikes a spiral spring gong, the device 3 is a buzzer, while the devices 4 and 5 are electro-magnetic bells of ordinary construction, one being a vibratory and the other a single stroke bell. The circuits of the several electromagnetic devices are connected up through a suitable battery 6 to the lever G whose pawl K is to engage with the teeth of the signaling Wheel M. These teeth t', t2, 3,154, t5, are insulated from each other and electrically connected up With the contact pins l', 2', 3', 4', 5', respectively, in any suitable Way; the contact pins on the wheel and the spring contacts m', m2, dac., are to be so constructed and arranged with reference to each other that each contact pin will, no matter how far the wheel M may be turned by the varying sizes of coins, make connection with only its own contact spring m', m2, dac. This may be provided for by making the pins l, 2', dac., of different lengths and the spring contacts m', m2, dac., at dierent distances from the wheel, as indicated in the drawings.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood how a coin in passing through the box will move the lever G and cause the signaling wheel M to turn to an extent corresponding to the diameter of the coins and cause a signal to be given on that Thus, in the construction illuslOO Ilo I one of the signals l, 2, 3, 4 or 5 which will indicate to the operator at the exchange the character ot' the coin which has been introduced. Thus, if afty-cent piece is passed through the box it will cause the lower end of the lever G to be raised to an extent which will cause the engagement of the pawl g with the tooth t2 of the wheel M', and as the latter is turned under the action of the spring of the lever the circuit will be closed through the pin 2', contact m2 and signal 2. In the case illustrated the signal l will indicate the dollar coin, the signal 2 the titty cents, the signal 3 the twenty-live cents, the signal 4 the tive-cents and the signal 5 is arranged to indicate that a ten-cent piece has been put into the box.

In order that the signaling movement ot' the wheel M may be steady and not too rapid I combine with the shaft upon which the wheel is mounted a suitable escapement movement of any convenient construction. In the case illustrated in Figs. I to 4, I have provided a simple form of clock escapement movement a O which is mounted on the back of the board B and geared up to the shaft N.

To facilitate the operation and insure the starting of the clockwork escapement, I provide a lever o, one end of which lies in the path of the finger F which acts upon the coin. The other end of the lever o is arranged adjacent to the balance wheel or other suitable part of the escapement movement in such a way that when the coin inger F strikes the lower end of the lever o, the upper end ofthe latter will give the escapement movement a preliminary tilt.

Instead of making the signal or indication electrically, I may make the signaling wheel M operate a bell or a series of bells or equivalent devices mechanically. Thus, in the modification shown in Fig. 8, thewheel is shown as provided with pins or projections which as the wheel rotates act upon a belltrip m6. In either case the bell or other signal or series of signals, when arranged near the transmitter will give audible signals which the operator at the exchange hears through the medium of such transmitter. In order, however, that the customer may not by mistake put his coin into the box and carry it through to give the signal while the hand telephone is on the hook and the primary circuit is consequently open (tor then the operator at the exchange could not hear the audible signal at the toll-station), I combine with the hand telephone a door below the slot or slots for the coin, and means whereby the opening of the door is controlled from the hand telephone hook. I provide a latch or lock so that the customer can pnt a coin into the box only when the hand telephone is olii the hook and the transmitter circuit is therefore closed. In the construction illustrated I have shown the door as in the form of a hinged door P with a suitable spring tending to keep the door closed against the slot under all conditions. In conjunction with this I provide a latch p, which in the construction shown in Figs. l to 4, is a part of the armature of an electro-magnet p. When the armature p is held away from the electromagnet by its spring pundernormal conditions, it latches the door and prevents it from being pushed open to the customer to introduce a coin. When however the electro-magnet is energized and attracts the armature, the door P can be opened by the customer pushingthe coin through.

In Fig. 6 I have shown by diagram the means I Qmploy to prevent the customer from putting any coin into the box until the hand telephone is taken off the hook. I may also provide in connection therewith means to prevent the customer from introducinga second coin into the box after the lirst has passed through and before the first signal has been given complete. As shown in this diagram one terminal ot the electro-magnet tis connected electrically to the break wheel M or other wheel operated by it, and this has a contact 35 which when the wheel is in its normal position of rest is in electrical contact with a ringer 36 connected through a conductor 37 to a contact 38. The hook S for the hand telephone makes connection with the contact 3S when the hand telephone has been removed from the hook. The hook is in contact with the other terminal of the electro-magnet t through a conductor 39, and a battery 40 is connected up with some part of the circuit.

So long as the hand telephone is on the hook, it will be seen that the circuit is open and the door of the slot locked, but when the hand telephone is taken off the hook, the circuit will be closed and the electro-magnet energized to attract the armature and unlock the door so that the coin can be introduced. On the other hand, after the signaling wheel M has begun to turn,the circuitwill be again broken and the door locked until the signaling wheel has returned to its normal position of rest.

Instead of controlling the lock for the door by the hand telephone by electrical means as described, the connection maybe mechanical. In Fig. 7, for example,I have shown the hook S for the hand telephone connected by the prolonged lower end of the latch lever p3 by a wire, cord or rod p4, so that when the hook is held down bythe hand telephone, the latch lever p3 locks the door, but when the hook S rises on removal of the hand telephone, the door is unlocked.

In order to provide against any possible failure of the lock to hold the slot door so long as the hand telephone is on the hook, I prefer, as an extra precaution, to provide for sending a signal over theline, when the operator at the exchange cannot hear through the transmitter at the toll station an audible signal given there. In the diagram Fig. 9, I have shown a construction whereby this may be ac- IOO IIO

battery of the ordinary telephone set at the toll station. The hook S is shown in its down position as when the hand telephone is hung upon it and the primary circuit accordingly broken at 8, this primary circuit being through the induction coil C, transmitter T, battery 7 p and conductor 9 to the hook S, 'and this conductor 9 is connected to the branch L of the line and the hook S, if it is in the depressed position, makes connection with contact 10, and thence 'through conductor 10', magnetocall M C and conductor 11 to the branch L of .the line. The hand telephone or receiver R is connected 'on one side by the conductor 12 to the branch L of the line; on the other side by the conductor 13 with the .secondary of the induction coil C and to the contact 14. When 'the hook S is depressed this circuit is broken at 14, butwhen the hook S is raised by its spring on the removal of the receiver R the contact through the hand telephone will then be closed at 14 through the hook S .and conductor 9 to the branch L vof the line.

The circuits so far described in connection with the telephone system simply illustrate the usual method of connecting them up. In connection with the hook S I provide, however, the following additional circuits; there are two spring contacts 15 and 16,.with an intermediate insulating block 17. Between the upper spring and the hook S is an insulating block 18. Between the outer ends of these spring contacts there projects a contact 19 which when the hook is depressed as shown, makes electrical connection with the contact 15, but when the hook is raised the springs 15 and 16 rise, and the contact 16 then makes electrical connection with the contact 19. This contact 19 is in connection through the yconductor 2O with the contact fingern?J of the signaling wheel. The spring contact 15 is in electrical connection through conductor 2l with the branch L of the line, in this case through the conductor 12. The spring contact 16 is in electrical connection through the conductor 22 with the circuit containing the audible signal I-I. I also connect to the circuit containing the signal H, through a conductor '23, a spring contact 24 which when the signaling wheel M is in its normal position of rest is held out of contact with a point 25 by means of a suitable insulated projection 27 on or operated by the break wheel. This point 25 is connected to the branch L' of the line lthrough a conductor 26. When the hand telephone is on the hook and the latter is consequently in the position indicated in the diagram, Fig. 9, so that any audible signal which may be given by the bell H cannot be heard by the operator at the exchange because the primary circuit through the transmitter T is broken, and a customer puts a coin into the box and carries it through while `the hand telephone is still on thel hook, the rotation of the signaling Wheel M will carry the projection 27 away from the spring contact 24 and close the circuit at the point 25 so that the contacts on the signaling wheel will, in striking the spring contact fm, successively close a circuit over the line to the exchange as follows: On the one side from the contact wheel M the circuit will be through the conductors 28, 23, contacts 24:, 25, and conductorl 26 to the branch L of the line, while on the other side the circuit will be from the spring contact m, conductor 20, contact 19, the spring 15, conductors 2l and 12, to the branch L of the line. Thus the operator at the exchange will hear the clicks on the opening and closing of the circuit, and in that Way may know what coin has been passed through .the box. Asufficient resistance is provided in the circuit of the call box M `C to prevent a short circuit through the call box.

It will be seen on reference to Figs. 1 and 2, that the under side of the signal-operating lever adjacent to the run-way is roughened or serrated, while the upper side of the run-way, near its outer end, is similarly roughened or serrated. This is to prevent fraud, for otherwise in case the customer should let go of the handle of the coin-pusher before the coin has been passed olf the end of the run-Way, the coin might slip back and then the signal be repeated bythe use of the same coin. The roughness or serrations, however, will retain the coin in the position to which it mayhave been pushed, short of passing beyond the runway, and therefore no signal would be given until the customer again pulls the handle to carry the coin off the end of the run-way to thence drop into the receptacle R.

At the break between the two parts of the run-way D I prefer to provide a spring plate cl2 which practically closes up the break when the push-finger F is pulled forward. If a coin should be dropped into the box after the tinger F has been pulled forward, the finger on its return movement will simply pass under the coin, jumping the latter over it and down the run-way until the coin comes into contact with the lever G. The plate 012 helps a small coin such as a dime to ride up over the pushfinger as the latter moves back.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combi nation of a run-way for the coin, a sliding rod having a iingerprojecting laterally into the path of the coin on the run-way and a lever in the pathway of the coin adapted to be moved bya coin and a signaling device operated by the lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations the combination of a coin runway in two parts with a break vbetween the two, a sliding finger normally occupying the break,butadapted to be moved down the runway, a lever in the pathway ofthe coin and a signaling device operated by the lever, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a coin runway and a push finger for the coin with a lever in the pathway of the coin and a signaling device operated by the lever, the said runway and lever having serrated faces to hold the coin if pushed but part way through substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a run-way for the coin, a push linger to move the latter along the runway, a lever to be acted on by the coin, a signaling wheel to be turned by the lever and an escapement to control the movement of the signaling wheel, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations,the combination ofarun-way for the coin, a push-linger to move the latter along the run-way, and a lever to be acted on by the coin, with a signaling wheel to be turned by the lever, an escapement to control the movement of the signaling wheel and a lever to be acted on by the push-finger to start the escapement, as and for the purpose described. 6. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a coin runway and a push-finger for the coin, with a lever to be acted on by the latter and audible signaling means in proximity to the toll station transmitter and acted on by the lever in the pathway ot the coin to give different audible signals according to the coin passing through substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a run-way for the coins, a push-linger to move the coins through the run-way and a pivoted lever in the pathway of lthe coin with a pawl carried by the lever, a ratchet wheel acted on by the pawl and a signaling device put into operation by the movement of the ratchet wheel, substantially as described.

S. In-an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations the combination of a run-way for the coins, a push-finger to move the coins through the run-way and a pivoted lever in the pathway ot the coin with a pawl carried by the lever, a toothed signaling wheel acted on by the pawl and a spring connected to the wheel and lever to return the wheel to its normal position of rest when released from the pawl.

9. In an automatic toll box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a coin runway, a push linger for the coins, a lever in the pathway of the coins and a series of diiering audible signals and means whereby one or other of such signalswill be operated from said lever according to the size of the coin passed through, all substantially as described.

l0. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a run-way for the coins, with an inclined board carrying the run-way, a sliding rod at the back of the board, and having a linger projecting through a slot in the board into the run-way for the coins, a lever acted on by the latter and a signal operated by thelever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ll. The combination et a telephone set with an automatic toll-box having a slot for the introduction of a coin, a door to close the slot and means whereby the opening of the door is controlled from the hand telephone hook, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l2. An automatic tollboX for telephone pay stations, having a slot for the introduction of the coin, a door to close the slot and an audible signal at the toll station in combination with a telephone set and means whereby the said door is locked when the hand telephone hook is down and transmitter is open, substantially as described.

13. A toll-box tor telephone pay stations, having an audible signal to indicate the coin put in and a make and break electrical signaling circuit in combination with a telephone set, and circuits, substantially as described, whereby when the telephone transmitter circuit is open, the make and break signal will be in circuit with the line, and when the transmitter circuit is closed, the audible signal at the toll station can be heard at the exchange through the transmitter, substantially as described.

le. In an automatic toll-box for telephone pay stations, the combination of a door with a coin slot, an electro-magnetic lock-releasing device, a circuit for such electro-magnet and devices, substantially as described, for keeping the circuit open during the passage of the coin through the tollbo:, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOWARD C. ROOT.

Witnesses:

EDITH J. Gnrswonn, HUBERT l'lowsoN.

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